My Soul to Take (Soul Keepers (Young Adult paranormal romance)) Read Online Free Page A

must be their leader. He stares at me while he shortens the distance between us. He is very tall and fit but his muscles are only slightly hinted at under his black cashmere sweater. His slacks are cuffed perfectly for his height and his shoes look expensive. He takes note that I’m watching him. The others are so silent I forget they’re even in the room with us. The man has dark brown hair and brown eyes that seem to have infinite depth. His face looks soft, he even looks kind, like he could be your neighborhood pastor. However, I hardly believe that is the case. His shiny black loafers stop just short of my chin. I’m just beginning to have feeling return to my fingertips.
    I watch helplessly as his foot rears back and violently lands a kick straight into my abdomen. The air flies out of my mouth as my insides explode in pain. I cry out. His kick has sent me a yard away from where I was and only the chain on my ankle has kept me from going further. My ankle throbs in protest. I curl my body into a ball to protect myself from his next blow. He stomps on my waist instead and the thought of internal bleeding runs through my mind as I cry out again. I scramble myself to the chair as if it could somehow protect me from him. There is nowhere to go and no one to help me.
    “ Pathetic little thing aren’t you?” He smirks as I look up at him. Tears are brewing out of my eyes like hot steel. My nose is running and I wipe my face with my sleeve. Trying to appear a little more worthy of my appointed role. I clench my fingers into a ball in an effort to quell the trembling. I rest my arms over the chair and tuck my chin down into my arms. I’m so afraid. I don’t want him to hit me again. Where is Elijah? Why hasn’t he come to help me yet? This is where I’m going to die.
    The man paces around me for a moment and then grabs my arm, pulling me back into the chair. The others stare from where they stand. I don’t think any of them have moved since he came into the room.
    “ So this is the infamous Brennen Hale? I thought it was high-time we met in person. I’m Malphas.” I recognize his name from Elijah’s journal. Malphas is the President of Hell. I cringe down into my seat wishing I could melt into the wood and disappear.
    “ I know those eyes,” he says tipping my chin up with is icy cold finger.
    “ Your mother is none other than Emmagen, a High Angel. Is she not?” I swallow hard and give one nod to answer him. I would tell him anything he wanted to know. I’m not about to be tortured for information, only to wind up dead anyway. My abdomen is still convulsing in pain and I’m fighting to stay upright. “So an angel conceived a human for some greater purpose. Yet when we did this, our own children were destroyed.” Oh my God no! I can only imagine where this is going to lead.
    “ You had a child?” The comment slips out of my mouth before I can tell my brain that speaking out of turn is probably not welcome right now.
    His eyes narrow. “Yes, I had a son. He was mighty and beautiful and he would have been revered in your world. But he was ripped from my arms and crushed to dust while he reached out for me. Your maker sent him to hell and punished us severely.” He looks directly at me as if it was my fault somehow.” And now I’ve you to do with as I please.” He runs a finger along my jaw and down my chest and between my breasts. I shudder and recoil at his touch.
    “ Elijah will come for me, and when he does, you will be crushed to dust.”  My voice comes out low and surprisingly confident. He releases a low menacing laugh at my revolted glare.
    “ Good luck with that. Your Elijah doesn’t even know you’re missing yet!” A laugh surfaces from beneath his sneer as he turns on his heel and walks out. The others slowly trickle out of the room after him.
    In the crowd I see a face that causes me to look twice. It’s the boy from my class. The one I met at the party in the fall, Jesson. His eyes